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Azathioprine may increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer, especially skin cancer and lymphoma (cancer that begins in the cells that fight infection). If you have had a kidney transplant, there may be a higher risk that you will develop cancer even if you do not take azathioprine. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had cancer and if you are taking or have ever taken alkylating agents such as chlorambucil (Leukeran), cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), or melphalan (Alkeran) for cancer. To decrease the risk that you will develop skin cancer, avoid prolonged or unnecessary exposure to sunlight and wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any changes in your skin or any lumps or masses anywhere in your body.
Some teenage and young adult males who took azathioprine alone or with another medication called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker to treat Crohn's disease (a condition in which the body attacks the lining of the digestive tract causing pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fever) or ulcerative colitis (a condition which causes swelling and sores in the lining of the colon [large intestine] and rectum) developed hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL). HSTCL is a very serious type of cancer that often causes death within a short period of time. Azathioprine has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, but doctors may sometimes prescribe azathioprine to treat these conditions. If you develop any of these symptoms during your treatment, call your doctor immediately: stomach pain; fever; unexplained weight loss; night sweats or easy bruising or bleeding.
Azathioprine can cause a decrease in the number of blood cells in your bone marrow, which may cause serious or life-threatening infections. The risk that the number of blood cells that you have will decrease is highest if you have a genetic (inherited) risk factor. Your doctor may order a test before or during your treatment to see if you have this risk factor. Taking certain medications may also increase the risk that your blood cells will decrease, so tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following: angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril, enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril, lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), Ramipril (Altace), or trandolapril (Mavik); trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra); and ribavirin (Copegus, Rebetol, Virazole). If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: unusual bleeding or bruising; excessive tiredness; pale skin; headache; confusion; dizziness; fast heartbeat; difficulty sleeping; weakness; shortness of breath; and sore throat, fever, chills, and other signs of infection. Your doctor will order tests before, during, and after your treatment to see if your blood cells are affected by this medication.
Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking this medication.
Azathioprine is used with other medications to prevent transplant rejection (attack of the transplanted organ by the immune system) in people who received kidney transplants. It is also used to treat severe rheumatoid arthritis (a condition in which the body attacks its own joints, causing pain, swelling, and loss of function) when other medications and treatments have not helped. Azathioprine is in a class of medications called immunosuppressants. It works by decreasing the activity of the body's immune system so it will not attack the transplanted organ or the joints.
Azathioprine comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken once or twice a day after meals. Take azathioprine at around the same time(s) every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take azathioprine exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
If you are taking azathioprine to treat rheumatoid arthritis, your doctor may start you on a low dose and gradually increase your dose after 6-8 weeks and then not more than once every 4 weeks. Your doctor may gradually decrease your dose when your condition is controlled. If you are taking azathioprine to prevent kidney transplant rejection, your doctor may start you on a high dose and decrease your dose gradually as your body adjusts to the transplant.
Azathioprine controls rheumatoid arthritis but does not cure it. It may take up to 12 weeks before you feel the full benefit of azathioprine. Azathioprine prevents transplant rejection only as long as you are taking the medication. Continue to take azathioprine even if you feel well. Do not stop taking azathioprine without talking to your doctor.
Azathioprine is also used to treat ulcerative colitis (a condition which causes swelling and sores in the lining of the colon [large intestine] and rectum) and Crohn's disease. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this medication for your condition.
This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Before taking azathioprine,
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
Azathioprine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately.
This medication may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking azathioprine.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online ( Web Site ) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).
Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA's Safe Disposal of Medicines website ( Web Site) for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.
It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. Web Site
In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at Web Site. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.
Symptoms of overdose may include the following:
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.
Selected Revisions: April 15, 2019.


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Product Name:- Customize Heart Alphabet Pendant
If you are looking for the amazing gold looking Customized Pendants then you are at the right place. Here we provide you a high quality gold looking pendant on a huge discount. We have so many unique designs which gives a attractive look to your neck. If you gift it to someone believe that she will be so happy and it also helps to increase your bond with your loved ones. So, order this amazing gold looking customized Pendants now.
Material of Customize Heart Alphabet Pendant
- High Quality Metal.
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- Usually it takes a maximum of 7 working days to deliver your order. However, we try our best to ensure we stick to your preferred date.
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- Make a video while opening the parcel. If you get a damaged or broken parcel than send us that video within 2 days after delivery and we will examine the video if we found that video is genuine we will send you new product within 5-6 days.
- Refunds are made only in this case if the customer cancels the orders within 24 hours after placing the order. In that case we refund your amount after deducting 3% of payment gateway charges. Make sure you will not get any refund after 24 hours because after that order get into making process.
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- You can directly contact us by three ways:-
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people are currently looking at this product
Estimated delivery time 5-10 days

subset: commoncrawl


text:
TV Land has announced that they're picking up their original series, How'd You Get So Rich? for a second season of six episodes.
Hosted by comic Joan Rivers, How'd You Get So Rich? focuses on wealthy people who've made their mega-bucks in out of the ordinary ways. Rivers asks questions that no one else will, in her own distinctive style.
Of the renewal, TV Land president Larry W. Jones said, "It's so exciting for us to work with our friend, the incomparable Joan Rivers and bring How'd You Get So Rich? back to TV Land. Viewers were very inspired last season by the stories of these millionaires who went from rags to riches some of whom were mowing lawns and are now collecting Bentleys! It is truly the American Dream, proving anyone can do it, and there is no one other than Joan who can do a better job of finding out how in the world these people got that rich!"
Rivers joked, "I'm thrilled to be back on How'd You Get So Rich?. It's so much better than hosting How'd You Get So Poor?… and when I say Rich, I mean RICH. People that Oprah will borrow money from. People that will use Dr. Ruth as a paperweight and people that when their computer breaks Bill Gates comes by to fix it."
Season two will debut on Wednesday, May 5th on TV Land.
What do you think? Is the Joan Rivers show worth watching? Better or worse than typical reality show fare?


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Ale Ebrahim, N. and Ahmed, S. and Taha, Z. (2010) Virtual R&D teams and SMEs growth: A comparative study between Iranian and Malaysian SMEs. African Journal of Business Management, 4 (11). pp. 2368-2379. ISSN 1993-8233,
PDF ( Virtual R&D team, small and medium enterprises, survey, developing countries.)
Virtual_R&D_teams_and_SMEs_growth_AJBM_2010.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication. Download (271kB) |
This paper explores potential advantages of using virtual teams for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a comprehensive review on various aspects of virtual teams. Based on the standing of the pertinent literatures, attempt has been made to study the aspects by online survey method in Iran and Malaysia. In both countries, SMEs play an important role in their economies, employments, and capacity building. Virtual R&D team can be one of the means to increase SMEs efficiency and competitiveness in their local as well as global markets. In this context, surveys have been conducted to evaluate the effects of virtuality to the growth of SMEs. The study addresses some differences between two countries in engaging virtual research and development (R&D) teams in their SMEs. It is observed that there is a significant difference between the SMEs turnover that employed virtual team and that did not employ the virtual team. The way for further studies and recommend improvements are proposed.
Item Type: | Article |
Funders: | UNSPECIFIED |
Uncontrolled Keywords: | SMEs |
Subjects: | H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) T Technology > T Technology (General) |
Divisions: | Faculty of Engineering |
Depositing User: | Dr. Nader Ale Ebrahim |
Date Deposited: | 06 Oct 2011 01:22 |
Last Modified: | 06 Oct 2011 01:22 |
URI: | http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/2164 |
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text:
A crash course in changing the world.
Does something seem a bit off after watching these videos? Don't worry! These videos reference the first season of EVOKE and its deadlines, but don't worry—the game is still played in the same way! With that caveat in mind, take a look and enjoy saving the world!
Welcome to the Evoke Network.
Welcome to your crash course in changing the world.
Evoking first started in Africa, but it can happen anywhere.
Every hero has an origin story. It's time for you to discover yours.
Where do your powers come from? Who inspires you? What set you on a path to change the world?
A new quest unlocks every Wednesday at midnight.
Each quest is a question that only you can answer.
Answer all ten questions, and write the story only you can tell.
HOW TO GO ON A QUEST1. Find a quest.
2. Tell your story to the world.
3. Track your completed quests on My Page.
4. Change your story any time.
Evoke powers are the skills and abilities you need to change the world.
Entrepreneurship Local insight
Knowledge Networking Resourcefulness
Spark Sustainability Vision
Complete missions to earn powers, and find out where your true strengths lie.
How to earn powers:
1. Learn what each power means.
2. Complete a mission. Each objective is worth a different number of power points.
3. Collect Power Votes.
How to give power votes:
1. Browse the mission evidence. [show evidence browsing]
2. See something interesting? Vote for it. [show voting]
Each vote is worth +1 power -- and you get to pick the power!
1. Watch your evoke powers rise on "My Page".
2. Check the leaderboard to see how your powers compare with other Evoke members.
© 2024 Created by Alchemy. Powered by


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Legendary Queen of Metal, DORO PESCH, will release Under My Skin – A Fine Selection Of Doro Classics in North America via AFM Records next month. Set for release on August 14, 2012, the mammoth career-spanning retrospective – which already entered the German charts at #53 upon its first week of release overseas – includes more than 30 tracks spread across two CDs. Compiled in close collaboration between AFM and DORO herself, the gorgeous package offers an abundance of DORO staples as well as rare B-side singles and hand-written liner notes. Under My Skin… is also available in a limited wooden fanbox edition (1000 copies; import only) which includes a two-CD digipak, flag, patch, bracelet, a postcard and a certificate of authenticity. For more info, point your browser HERE.
Under My Skin – A Fine Selection Of Doro Classics Track Listing:
01. All We Are (Version 2007)
02. You're My Family
03. I Rule The Ruins
04. Celebrate
05. The Night Of The Warlock
06. Strangers Yesterday
07. Walking With The Angels
08. Metal Tango
09. Thunderspell
10. Herzblut
11. Warrior Soul
12. My Majesty
13. Für Immer
14. Love Me In Black
15. Always Live To Win
16. Running From The Devil
17. Above The Ashes
18. Let Love Rain On Me
01. Celebrate (Full Metal Female Version)
02. Rescue Me
03. Rare Diamond (Acoustic Version)
04. Angel In The Dark
05. 1999
06. In Liebe Und Freundschaft
07. I Lay My Head Upon My Sword
08. Tausend Mal gelebt
09. Wildfire
10. Breaking The Law
11. She's Like Thunder (Version 2005)
12. The Queen
13. You Won My Love
14. Lonely Wolf
In related news, DORO was recently added to the third annual 70000 Tons Of Metal lineup. The original heavy metal cruise takes place in January 2013 and features 40 metal bands and 2,000 fans from all over the world seafaring the Caribbean on a luxury cruise ship for a 5-day/4-night ocean adventure. Sporting the biggest open air stage to sail the open seas, the world's biggest floating heavy metal festival will include: Ensiferum, Lacuna Coil, Nile, In Flames, Immolation and more! For more info, go to THIS LOCATION.
DORO was recently featured in Decibel Magazine's August 2012 special "Women In Metal" issue. In an interview conducted by J. Bennett, DORO discusses her new Raise Your Fist record, reminisces about quitting her job in 1986 to tour with Judas Priest, what her one-year stint in a hospital years ago taught her, and the nexus of attitude and being dignified. If you missed it, you can still secure your copy HERE.


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14 Best Shine Serums and Sprays for Lustrous LocksA glossy sheen is almost too easy to achieve with these best shine sprays for hair |
Related: Best-Kept Secrets for Healthy Hair
Now that we've sold you on the fact that you must have a hard-working, hair-smoothing, shine serum or spray at your fingertips, check out this list of top-rated products. Here, TotalBeauty.com readers share which serums and sprays make their hair shine like a new penny.
Image via Getty
SEE NEXT PAGE: Best Shine Serums and Sprays No. 14: Oscar Blandi Olio di Jasmine Hair Serum, $35
Older comments
moroccan oil smells so good OMG
by brianna121791 Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 07:55PM Report as inappropriate
Never tried any of these. I've always used the John Frieda version.
by amber.flute Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 10:46PM Report as inappropriate
Interesting. Another brand worth mentioning is Oribe. I've heard a lot of good things from the brand with their sprays.
by hiddenexpose Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 08:17PM Report as inappropriate
Thank you! The brands I've tried have wound up artificial-looking and sticky to the touch. Now I have a choice . . .
by GigiSD Saturday, March 16, 2013 at 09:56PM Report as inappropriate
I love the garnier shine spray
by LittleBunny Friday, January 4, 2013 at 07:32AM Report as inappropriate
yay! I have the Garnier Fructis one! but I'm almost out of it :(
by _Nikitaaa_ Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 10:18PM Report as inappropriate
I really need to make this happen and just splurge for the Moroccanoil...One day
by BlackFleur145 Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at 07:52PM Report as inappropriate
great article, I'd like to try a few of these
by kimihavens Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at 09:11AM Report as inappropriate
They should make a new list and add Loreals new EverSleek Precious Oil(11.29) product. just came out in stores last week. and Creme Of Nature Oil Treatment(9.99).
by KelseaT Thursday, September 27, 2012 at 01:35AM Report as inappropriate
I'd love to try that So Sexy shine spray, and Victoria's Secret has some of the best frangrances!
by Helmi Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 02:38PM Report as inappropriate


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A walk down the streets of Bellevue is a lesson in contradictions, a mecca of things that normally don't go together: the best in urban sophistication with enough green space to satisfy country folk, high-rise buildings bordered by lake-side villas, and the best of American business ingenuity paired with international talent.
It is these contradictions that continue to make Bellevue a community like no other, where a variety of appealing lifestyle choices are all within reach and less than half an hour away. Where else can you go for a morning hike and then enjoy a gourmet steak lunch prepared at a world-class restaurant? Or take your business meeting outside into one of over 74 local parks?
The possibilities are dazzling, along with the variety of neighborhoods made for living and exploring. In a way, Bellevue is a lot like New York City, where business districts are interspersed with more quirky neighborhoods than you could easily explore in a day or a weekend.
Picture the city like a spoke, with the sophisticated downtown at its core. This is the hub of business in the city, where more than 150 companies have their headquarters and 900 businesses regularly engage in international trade. It's a smorgasbord of diversity and talent, with more than 130 languages spoken from all around the world. Indeed, during the day the city swells with workers from all over the region, drawn to companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon and Expedia. It's one of the liveliest places in the state, a unique spot where jobs are actually forecast to grow and commuters enjoy a shorter-than-average drive to work.
But the downtown doesn't cater only to business and commerce. It is also becoming increasingly residential, mirroring the growth of high-rise condos and apartment complexes in the area. The demand of Bellevue real estate has come from people wanting to be close to not only their jobs, but to the region's best shopping, dining, and attractions.
Looking at our spoke once again, the vibrant downtown is surrounded by over 13 unique neighborhoods, each with their own personalities. Some of these communities draw from the very international flavor of the city's commerce, while others were built in appreciation of natural wonders like Lake Washington or Cougar Mountain. There is something for everyone; it is an explorer's paradise.
For those looking to explore more of the surrounding area than just the local neighborhoods, Bellevue is centrally located within the region. The international destination of Vancouver, Canada, the prairies of Eastern Washington, and the gorges of the Washington/Oregon divide are all within a short drive.
Many people have chosen to move to Bellevue because of its centrality and convenience. But the current 122,000 residents know that Bellevue's unique appeal goes beyond just serving as a gateway to other places. It is in being the kind of place where people love to be, where you never have to choose between the big city and a close-knit community, and where it's just as possible to start a company as it is to start a family. And that has made all the difference.


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Yet again, the Daily Heil has been using the tactics of its best friend Adolf Hitler – the 'Big Lie' – to attack a United Nations official whose job is to point out that Coalition government policies are harming the innocent poor.
The Flail's tone was Nurembergian – and almost entirely fact-free – as it denounced 'Brazil Nut' Raquel Rolnik for imaginary crimes against Iain Duncan Smith's benefit cuts – the homicidal, if not genocidal, measures that are driving hundreds of thousands of people into destitution and despair.
You see, the Fail is fine with destitution and despair for the poor – its readers are all rich middle- or upper-class housewives who pass their days spending their husbands' vast fortunes (this is not entirely true, but is exactly the sort of generalisation you can expect from that paper. If you are a Mail reader, it isn't such fun when you're the victim, is it?) and gossiping.
The news story is that a group of United Nations poverty ambassadors has written a 22-page letter pointing out that cuts to social security benefits introduced by Iain Duncan Smith and enforced by his Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of the Coalition government may constitute a breach of the UK's international treaty obligations to the poor.
The letter is new but its factual information is not, having been confirmed by the Council of Europe.
The letter states: "The package of austerity measures enacted could amount to retrogressive measures prohibited under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, ratified in 1974."
Among the benefit changes it highlights are alterations to housing benefit, council tax benefit, working age benefits and the bedroom tax and the benefits cap – which everybody agrees would be a good idea if it had been limited to a reasonable amount, rather than one at which the Conservative-led Coalition could throw people into hardship.
The Mail's report pays little attention to the facts, lavishing far more space on Mrs Rolnik herself. It said she had been nicknamed the 'Brazil Nut', which she had – by the Daily Mail; and went on to attempt to cast doubt on her authority as special rapporteur on housing and those of fellow UN ambassadors Maria Magdalena Sepulveda Carmona, special rapporteur on extreme poverty; and Olivier De Schutter, the special rapporteur on the right to food.
These are experts in their field who have been engaged by the United Nations – a higher-ranking legal authority than the UK – to investigate government policies, but that's not good enough for the Mail.
It prefers to get its opinions from tupenny-ha'penny Tory thinktanks.
So it casts doubt. The letter is from 'ambassadors' and follows an 'investigation', according to the Mail, because putting those words in that way casts doubt upon their validity.
Mrs Rolnik was brought up as a Marxist, the Mail states – as if that has anything to do with her findings. And the report claims she should leave the UK alone and concentrate on problems in her own country, where millions of people live in shanty towns – even though the writer, 'Jason Groves', should know perfectly well that her job involves just that.
He clearly doesn't want you to see her comments on housing in Brazil, prior to the football World Cup which is being held there at the moment: "We expected that the champion of many football cups would use this opportunity to show the world it is also a champion of the right to housing, in particular for people living in poverty, but the information I have received shows otherwise."
She had received allegations of evictions without due process or in breach of international human rights standards, cases in which residents and citizens had not been consulted and were barred from to participation in decisions that had a grave impact on their standard of living. Concerns had also been expressed about very low compensation that might lead to the creation of new "informal settlements" (shanty towns) with inadequate living conditions or greater rates of homelessness.
"Authorities should avoid at all costs any negative impacts on then human rights of the individuals and communities, especially the most vulnerable… [and] should ensure that their actions, and those of third parties involved in the organization of the events, contribute to the creation of a stable housing market and have a long term positive impact in the residents of the cities where events take place."
So critics who think she has ignored issues in her home country are wrong.
That's a bit of a blow to the Mail's credibility, isn't it?
The measures criticised by Mrs Rolnik and her colleagues were brought in "to tackle the huge budget deficit left by Labour", according to the Mail. Again, this is wrong. The Coalition government has made no real effort to tackle the budget deficit which was necessitated when Labour saved our banking system, the threat having been created by Tory-supporting bankers whose greed put their firms into overwhelming debt. Look at the annual deficit for the last financial year; it is still well above £100 billion. If you agree that the cuts were to bring the deficit down, you have swallowed a lie.
Iain Duncan Smith, the man this blog describes as 'RTU' (standing for 'Returned To Unit' in tribute to his failed Army career) is reportedly furious at this intervention from the United Nations, which has a duty to intervene if governments of member countries descend into criminality, as has happened with the UK (here's just one example).
Vox Political has reported extensively on this matter and his arguments carry about as much weight as his retrospective Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Act. Take a look at Mrs Rolnik's report on housing in the UK and the research that supported what she said and then ask yourself if Mr …Smith has got a leg to stand on.
According to the Mail, he said: "They talk down our country, criticising the action we've taken to get control of the public finances and create a fairer more prosperous Britain. They simply do not have a clue – and we will not be taking lessons from a group of unelected commentators who can't get their facts straight."
In fact.
Additional: Here's some more information about Iain Duncan Smith playing fast and loose with statistics, just in today.
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text:
Deluged by data, the federal government looks to virtualized storage to create a single pool of storage capacity controlled from a central console making it easier to retrieve data. -db
August 23, 2010
By Carolyn Duffy Marsan
The federal government is awash in data. And it's expanding at rates faster than chief information officers can count. No one knows exactly how much information agencies have stored in their far-flung databases, but experts say it's a lot. Consider this: By 2015, the world will generate the equivalent of almost 93 million Libraries of Congress–in just one year, according to Cisco's Internet Business Solutions Group.
The government is a big player in that information explosion, although how big is not certain. The cost to store and manage the growing mound of data is rising and eating up scarce information technology resources. It's no surprise the next big IT investment agencies will make in the coming years, if they haven't already started, is in something called virtualized storage, which uses software to connect multiple devices to create what simulates a single pool of storage capacity that can be controlled from a central console. The console makes it easier to back up, archive and retrieve data.
With agencies creating more data, storage virtualization is an inevitable part of their IT future. Many operations–from the Congressional Budget Office to the State Department to the U.S. military–are looking for ways to squeeze more efficiency out of their storage systems and drive down costs.
The Census Bureau is looking to virtualize storage to help it manage the 2.5 petabytes of data that ebbs and flows as it conducts the decennial census and vast economic surveys. The data, which amounts to more than the entire collection in all U.S. academic research libraries, is contained in a variety of storage platforms that multiple vendors supply. But maintaining so many disparate systems is driving up the cost of operating the data centers that house the information.
"We have a very diverse storage architecture, and that diversity doesn't lend itself nicely to be highly efficient from a cost perspective," says Brian McGrath, CIO at the Census Bureau. He says virtualization would create storage platforms that could be shared throughout the bureau to minimize unused capacity and lower operating costs.
Five years ago, the first wave of data center efficiency began with server virtualization. Agencies were able to consolidate 10 or more servers into one, increasing use of available computing power from about 30 percent to as much as 80 percent. But that placed demands on storage and backup systems, which require a lot of server capacity.
"Backing up a virtual server infrastructure becomes a big burden on data centers and their resources," says
Fadi Albatal, vice president of marketing with FalconStor Software. "When server utilization rates were 20 percent, servers still had 80 percent available for heavy load processing such as backups. Now that servers have utilization rates of 80 percent it means there's only 20 percent left for all my backup processes."
The Next Big Wave
Now agencies are turning to virtualization not only to process their data but also to store it, driving down the cost of purchasing and maintaining storage devices. The savings potential is substantial. Storage accounts for about half of what an agency spends on hardware. And less equipment means less power usage, which can drop by as much as 50 percent with storage virtualization, Albatal says. Other savings come from freeing up IT employees to work on other data center projects. The shift to storage virtualization is picking up momentum because it coincides with several Obama administration IT initiatives.
The Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative that federal CIO Vivek Kundra outlined in February requires agencies to come up with plans to combine the government's 1,100 data centers. The goal is to reduce energy consumption and operating costs by making better use of hardware.
The approach is key to cloud computing, another Kundra initiative. By virtualizing servers and storage systems, agencies create shared data center platforms that can host applications and provide Web-based services similar to cloud computing models.
"The opportunity is there to take a holistic view of the entire enterprise, with servers, storage and backups, and to create an agile and responsive data center that will enable private and public cloud computing in the near future," says Michael Voss, lead associate with Booz Allen Hamilton on federal data center consulting projects.
'Teeny' Agency, Tons of Data
The Congressional Budget Office was driven to storage virtualization for cost and power savings, which are critical for the 250-person agency located in the aging Ford House Office Building on Capitol Hill. The agency provides lawmakers with myriad economic reports, analysis and statistics that inform federal budget decisions.
"We're a teeny agency, and we're dealing with huge amounts of data. This is not data that we're generating. This is data that we're taking in to analyze. It's a process that's beyond our control," says CIO Jim Johnson. "I want to spend as little on storing that data as I can and still have it readily available."
CBO has 15 virtualized servers containing anywhere from 3 to 5 terabytes of data, depending on their workload. One terabyte is the equivalent of all the X-ray films in a large high-tech hospital. The agency has been able to buy the storage it needs incrementally, and it has been able to reduce downtime because it can get backup servers and storage devices up and running faster.
"For our primary storage–that's the corporate storage that we live and breathe on every day–we're going to buy high-end storage solutions. . . . But for the replica, for the mirror copies that we keep . . . that we hope we'll never have to use, we use lower-end storage," Johnson says. "This allowed us to spend our funds more appropriately based on our requirements."
Johnson estimates CBO spent about $300,000 on its virtualized storage platform during the past four years. But, he says, the agency saved money by not having to maintain identical storage platforms for primary and backup copies of data.
"Storage virtualization makes it easier for me, particularly as a smaller agency with a smaller budget, to be able to manage my storage requirements . . . and not be held hostage by a single vendor," Johnson says.
Capacity on Demand
The State Department is a leader in data center consolidation, deciding back in 2002 to start reining in the computer rooms and servers that were popping up throughout its facilities. The department is shifting to server and storage virtualization at its three data centers–on the East Coast, West Coast, and one operated by a commercial vendor.
"We have 3,000 systems, and about 21 percent of them are virtualized," says Ray Brow, division chief for enterprise data center consolidation at State. "Our goal is to get to 90 percent. We think that's doable, while 100 percent may not be."
Next up for State is modernizing the systems it uses to store more than 10 petabytes of data, including e-mail, files and electronic forms that used to be filled out and stored on paper. "At the Department of State, we have online all the visas that have been granted since 1992. It's all stored on disk," Brow says.
The department has migrated from tape to disk for backups, with only one mainframe application left to transition, because tapes are easily lost and take longer to replicate. "We were buying tapes and more tapes," Brow says. "We were able to justify moving entirely to Data Domain disk backup systems just on the cost of new tapes, new tape drives and maintenance costs alone."
According to Brow, the biggest benefit of virtualization is centralizing storage management. The department's storage area network software and disk arrays can provide mirror images of systems and snapshots of stored information for faster data recovery. "The snapshots are very efficient in that they are only keeping track of changed data. . . . When someone needs a file restored, most of the users can figure out how to get back to the snapshot," he says.
The biggest challenge for State is managing the growth of its storage requirements and their associated costs. Brow estimates storage and backup represent 35 percent of the department's IT purchases. State already limits the size of employees' mailboxes and home directories, and maintains only six months of backups.
State expects to reap additional savings through a process known as thin provisioning, which allocates available server capacity as needed rather than committing blocks of storage space upfront.
"Our [storage area network] growth is pretty badly out of control," Brow says, adding he hopes thin provisioning will improve the situation. "We're trying to project our storage needs so that thin provisioning and acquisition go hand in hand."
Weeding Out Duplication
When the Defense Department merges two of its Washington area hospitals–Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center–the new facility in Bethesda, Md., will consolidate IT as well. Due to open in September 2011, the National Military Medical Center will feature a new 5,000-square-foot data center with the latest in storage virtualization technology.
"We need 24-by-7 availability and reliability," says Lt. Cmdr. Cayetano "Tony" Thornton, CIO at the National Naval Medical Center. "We are the president's hospital. In addition to that, our primary customers are the men and women who support the nation. Once these guys leave the battlefield, they land at Andrews Air Force Base and they come over to Bethesda. We need a robust backbone and a robust data store to allow our providers to give them seamless health care."
Data center efficiency is key to the merger, says Thornton, who notes the services had duplication across the board.
"Walter Reed had over 400 applications and systems, and now we've brought that down to around 150," Thornton says. "Within each clinical area, we are looking at what the Army, Air Force and Navy are using, and we're choosing the best systems and applications so that we can deliver the best health care possible.
"We are becoming more and more dependent on storage because of all the different scans that we do–CAT scans, PET scans, MRIs–that we're looking to store in one central repository," he says.
The Defense Department's electronic medical records system is demanding an ever-increasing amount of storage capacity, according to Thornton. Walter Reed has more than 100 terabytes of storage, while the Naval Medical Center has about 40 terabytes.
"Our health care providers are looking to scan and to digitize all of that information and to make it available across the military health care enterprise in the National Capital Region," Thornton says. "That means we need a very robust data store and servers."
The new data center also will feature deduplication software that will automatically remove multiple copies of data, freeing up storage space and speeding backup processes.
According to Thornton, the center aims to reduce duplication by about 50 percent. "You really can't get rid of medical data from a historic perspective. It's very complex, and it's not an IT decision. It has to be a clinical health care decision," he says. "What we try to do is manage the data we have as efficiently as possible."
Defense has spent about $10 million for the hardware and software for the new data center, with storage components accounting for 30 percent to 40 percent of the cost. All the servers and storage devices will be virtualized for better data management, accessibility and reliability.
Just Getting Started
From census and spending tallies to passport and health care records, storage virtualization has unleashed the potential to free up computer, energy and staff resources for agency missions.
Virtualized storage also promises to improve the speed at which agencies are able to respond to disasters, from hurricanes and floods to terrorist attacks. "Once we virtualize the storage infrastructure, we can do continuous backups or replicate to another location and have a standby," says FalconStor's Albatal.
Agencies have been adopting storage virtualization for several years, but have a long way to go before they have optimized their data center storage environments. "We probably haven't virtualized 10 percent or 20 percent of federal storage platforms," says Mark Weber, vice president and general manager of the U.S. public sector business for NetApp. "The market is still in front of us."
Carolyn Duffy Marsan is a high-tech businessreporter based in Indianapolis who has covered the federal IT market since 1987.
Copyright 2010 NextGov FAC Content Use Policy


text:
Actress Dyan Cannon agreed to take LSD with late husband Cary Grant in a desperate bid to save their marriage.
In her new book, Dear Cary, the Heaven Can Wait star opens up about the end of her three-year union with the Hollywood icon and admits she has come to understand why he took psychedelic drugs when he needed to escape his life problems.
Cannon reveals she was so desperate to save the marriage she agreed to get high with him.
"I think he thought it (LSD) was a gateway to peace inside himself. With all the wealth and fame that he embraced and that embraced him, he couldn't find it ... When our marriage started to go south ... he said, 'LSD will help us'," she says.
"That's one of the big messages of the book. I wanted to make him happy more than anything else in life and it's good to love someone and it's good to try and make them happy, but if you have to go against something that's intrinsically against your nature, that you know you shouldn't do, in order to please someone, it's death."
Cannon reveals Grant first experimented with LSD after discovering his father had lied about the death of the movie star's mother - when he was a child.
"He had such a traumatic childhood, it was horrible. I work with a lot of kids on the street and I've heard a lot of stories about what happens when a family breaks down - but his was just horrendous. And he never really dealt with those things. He tried to. That's the reason he tried LSD ... he thought it was a gateway to God," she tells Access Hollywood Live.
"Can you imagine, at 10, coming home and hearing, 'Your mother's at the seashore ...' 'Well why didn't she take me? Did I do something wrong?' And then three months later: 'Your mother's dead ...'
"Your father abandons you, takes a younger wife, has a baby. 'Daddy, can I live with you?' Cary said. 'There's not room for you!' He's 10 years old. Imagine that.
"And 20 years later, he gets a call saying, 'I lied ...' Cary comes to London, meets with his dad and his dad says, 'Your mother is not dead, she's alive'."
Grant's father placed his young wife in institution and told his son she had died.
Grant first experimented with LSD after discovering his father had lied about the death of the movie star's mother - when he was a child.


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Zach Galifianakis + Louis Vuitton – Celebrity Doppelgangers
Actor and funnyman Zach Galifianakis, who refused to change his name to make it easier for us to spell after he got famous, looks kind of like every other rotund person with facial hair. Like maybe former president William Howard Taft. Or a walrus (okay, that's not a person but whatever).
Or ... chichi designer Louis Vuitton.
Zach is best known for his stint in 'The Hangover' franchise as lovable goof Alan (who keeps accidentally roofie'ing his friends), and for playing comic book writer Ray in the now-defunct television series 'Bored to Death.' He also hosts the extremely dry Funny or Die web series Between Two Ferns.
French fashion house Louis Vuitton was started by, you guessed it, a guy named Louis Vuitton. And yeah, we don't know how a guy who looked like this got into the fashion business, but Karl Lagerfeld and Donatella Versace confuse us too.


text:
Clip starts at 7:15
While Perot amused crowds with his snarky comments, his running mate, Vietnam war hero Admiral James Stockdale, publicly struggled to transform himself into a public figure. The famously self-deprecating Stockdale opened the vice presidential debate in 1992 by asking, "Who am I? Why am I here?" The line, meant to poke fun at his lack of political experience, left viewers simply wondering whether he knew the answer to either question.


text:
Improving Collaboration on School Safety Issues
Suggestions for working with students, parents, community residents, and law enforcement personnel.Working with Students
Most of the following ideas and activities require initiation by administrators and teachers. Once students experience the positive results of the activities, however, they likely will assume the responsibility for maintaining such activities.
- Initiate programs to promote student responsibility
for safer schools. Create a "student leader"
group consisting of leaders from all formal and informal campus
groups. Assist this representative group in modeling and encouraging
school safety activities among their peers. Student government
representatives can also form a student safety committee to
identify safety problems and solutions.
- Encourage student input in district and school site policy. Appoint
one or more student representatives to the school board and/or school site council. These
students would participate in discussions and planning but not
be voting members.
- Coordinate student courts. Student judges,
lawyers, jurors, bailiffs and court clerks, trained by local
justice system experts, hear and try cases involving fellow
students. Student courts make real judgments and pass real sentences.
- Purchase conflict resolution curricular materials
that will provide staff and student training in solving problems
and conflicts. Enlist student mediators to calm tensions
among classmates and to provide a positive influence on school
- Establish local branches of student safety groups,
such as Students Against Driving Drunk (SADD) and Arrive Alive,
which sponsor alcohol free social activities. Consider
promoting student and parent groups that provide rides home
to teenagers who have been drinking.
- Develop a "buddy system."
Assign current students to newcomers to facilitate easy transitions.
Assign older, bigger students to look out for students who seem
to be bullied by others.
- Plan a community beautification
campaign for the school and neighborhood using students as a
work crew. Graffiti and vandalized areas should be
priorities. With professional guidance, students can help maintain
campuses, parks and other community areas. Beautification projects
enhance the appearance of the community and develop a strong
sense of pride among participants.
- Create and publicize safety incentive programs that share a percentage of the districts savings with schools if vandalism is reduced. Such programs encourage students to take responsibility for vandalism prevention. Often students are allowed to help decide what projects to help fund.
Working with Parents
In Discipline: A Parent's Guide, the National Parent Teacher Association identifies parents' main responsibility: Set a good example. Children learn more by parents' actions than from parents' words. Parental pride and involvement in the school sets a positive example for children.
- Make time for any parent who wants to meet. Treat
visiting parents as colleagues in the business of educating
children. Always listen before talking, parents often just need
to be heard. Try to conclude sessions with a commitment of support
from parents.
- Develop a parent-on-campus policy that makes it convenient
and comfortable for parents to visit the school. Get
the program off the ground by inviting an initial group of parent
participants who can spread the word. Initiate breakfast or
lunch clubs for working parents. Flexible meeting times will
accommodate working parents.
- Develop a receptive, systematic policy regarding meeting
with parents. Many parents are concerned about their
children's educational progress and safety, about school policies
and programs, and about taking a proactive part in bettering
the school climate. Ensure that parents are treated with respect
and courtesy as colleagues in education and development of their
- Call parents at home or even at work to congratulate
them on a child's special achievement or to thank them for support
on a special project. Short letters of appreciation
or thank-you notes are also very well received.
- Help establish a policy in which parents become financially liable for damage done by their children. Parents and children need to be made aware of the serious consequences for criminal actions. (This already is state law in many parts of the country.)
Working with Community Residents
Just as communities work together to prevent crime with "Neighborhood Watch" programs, local residents can mobilize to make schools safer. Such mobilization efforts target community residents without school-aged children. It is essential to communicate to this critical group that they do have direct as well as indirect relationships to local schools. Public opinion polls suggest that the more citizens are involved in schools, the more likely people are to have a favorable opinion of schools.
- Educate parents about California child firearm access prevention laws requiring the safe storage of firearms and ammunition in the home.
- Hold a series of briefings for community residents
to inform them about school problems directly affecting the
neighborhood. Property values decline when vandalism,
crime by truants and drug trafficking. Form "School Watch"
programs in which neighbors around the school are asked to watch
for and report suspicious activities to school or law enforcement
officials. Post signs on the school grounds: "This school
is protected by a neighborhood School Watch." Solicit advice
from community residents and conduct follow-up meetings to keep
community representatives updated on progress.
- Start a "Safe House" program that recruits
responsible community residents. Children learn that
homes posting "Safe House" signs are safe places to
go if they are in danger or need assistance. Volunteers need
to be carefully screened before they are accepted as participants.
- Use outdoor posters or school marquees to announce
school events to area residents; invite their
participation or attendance. Roadside signs declaring,
"A community is known by the schools it keeps," also
has been used to stimulate community partnerships.
- Recruit parents, community residents without school-aged
children, retired teachers and senior citizens to form a welcoming
committee to greet new residents. Enlist volunteers
to provide information, answer questions about school activities,
encourage participation and prepare school activity packets
for distribution.
- Use school facilities to offer adult education classes
and health clinics. Course topics can range from arts
and crafts to exercise and aerobics to income tax preparation.
These classes are beneficial to community residents and integrate
them into the school community. Encourage senior citizens to
participate in "adopt-a-grandparent" activities. Time
and experience are prized assets in all public relations planning,
and senior citizens are often able to supply those two commodities.
The most important outgrowth of such enlistment is the development
of mutual respect and appreciation among students, school personnel
and seniors.
- Recruit senior citizens in your community to participate
at local schools. Arrange for seniors to make school
presentations to history classes about public attitudes and
"firsthand" experiences during significant times in
our country's history. Small group discussions, facilitated
by senior volunteers, can be especially educational. Seniors
can also participate as teacher or staff aides, student advisors,
mentors and tutors, special activity organizers, playground
supervisors and dance chaperones.
- Issue "Golden Apple Cards" to senior volunteers
who work on school projects. The cards could allow
free or reduced-price admission to school programs such as musical
concerts, plays or athletic events.
- Help integrate students and senior citizens by arranging for students to visit senior centers, convalescent centers or retirement homes. Students can present plays and musical programs; home economic classes can prepare special meals; art classes can decorate the facilities; and engineering or shop classes can make small repairs. Younger children particularly can add a great deal of joy with regular visits to seniors. Some school groups may wish to participate in programs.
Working with Law Enforcement
Law enforcement officers and school personnel represent highly trained professionals who have the welfare of the students and school community in mind. Annual planning sessions and monthly meetings with law enforcement representatives, district administrators and school employees can provide the opportunity for reciprocal briefings on safety issues and prevention and intervention strategies.
- Request a risk management or safety assessment of
your schools by local law enforcement agency personnel. This
procedure will validate safety concerns and help establish response
- Establish an "Officer Friendly" program
at your schools. Invite local law enforcers to make
presentations to students on child safety, drug abuse prevention,
and juvenile justice practices and policies. Visiting law enforcers
can demonstrate tools of their trade, including trained police
dogs, breathalyzers and emergency vehicles. When students become
comfortable in relating to law enforcers, students learn to
further appreciate both the officers and the laws they enforce.
- Coordinate student and staff "ride-along" programs. The one-on-one time with officers on patrol
is an effective means for law enforcers to gain respect and
inspire confidence.
- Work with law enforcement and parents to fingerprint
young children as a safety measure. Fingerprinting
is usually done at a school site by law enforcers. The prints
then are given to the parent or guardian.
- Pair law enforcers with high-risk youths, similar to the "Big Brother" program. Such relationships can be an important step in changing delinquent behavior patterns.


text: The three separate rear seats offer variable layouts. Each can be arranged separately and the angle of each backrest is adjustable. The outer seats can slide backwards and forwards. The middle seat can be removed and the outer seats can be moved towards the centre, thus creating exceptional amounts of extra room for two rear passengers.


text:
Real Analysis/Riemann integration
←Applications of Derivatives | Real Analysis Riemann integration |
Fundamental Theorem of Calculus→ |
Definition edit
Riemann integration is the formulation of integration most people think of if they ever think about integration. It is the only type of integration considered in most calculus classes; many other forms of integration, notably Lebesgue integrals, are extensions of Riemann integrals to larger classes of functions. The Riemann integral was developed by Bernhard Riemann in 1854 and was, when invented, the first rigorous definition of integration applicable to not necessarily continuous functions.
We will first define some preliminary ideas.
Partitions edit
Definition edit
A Partition is defined as the ordered -tuple of real numbers such that
Norm of a Partition edit
Let be a partition given by
Then, the Norm (or the "mesh") of is defined as
Tagged Partition edit
Let be a partition
A Tagged Partition is defined as the set of ordered pairs such that . The points are called Tags.
Riemann edit
Riemann Sums edit
Let be a tagged partition of
The Riemann Sum of over with respect to is given by
Riemann Integral edit
We say that is Integrable on if and only if, for every there exists such that for every partition satisfying , we have that
is said to be the integral of over , and is written as
or as
Properties edit
Theorem (Uniqueness) edit
Let be integrable on
Then the integral of is unique
Proof edit
Assume, if possible that are both integrals of over . Consider
As are integrals, there exist such that for all that satisfy and for all that satisfy
Let . Hence, if is a partition satisfying , then we have and that
That is, , which is an obvious contradiction. Hence the integral of is unique.
We now state (without proof) two seemingly obvious properties of the integral.
Theorem edit
Let be integrable and let
Theorem (Boundedness Theorem) edit
Let be Riemann integrable. Then is bounded over
Proof edit
Assume if possible that is unbounded. For every divide the interval into parts. Hence, for every , is unbounded on at least one of these parts. Call it .
Now, let be given. Consider an arbitrary . Let be a tagged partition such that and , where is taken so as to satisfy .
Thus we have that . But as is arbitrary, we have a contradiction to the fact that is Riemann integrable.
Hence, is bounded.
Integrability edit
We now study classes of Riemann integrable functions. The first "constraint" on Riemann integrable functions is provided by the Cauchy Integrability Criterion.
Theorem (Cauchy Criterion) edit
(i) is Riemann integrable on if and only if
(ii) For every , there exists such that if are two partitions satisfying then
Proof edit
( )Let and let be given.
Then, there exists such that for every partition satisfying ,we have
Now, let partitions be such that .
Thus we have that , that is
( ) For every , consider such that for all partitions satisfying , we have .
Without loss of generality, we can assume that when . For every , let be a partition such that
The sequence is a Cauchy sequence, and hence it has a limit .
Now, for every , we have a such that implies .
Theorem (Squeeze Theorem) edit
(i) is Riemann integrable on if and only if
(ii) For every , there exist Riemann integrable functions such that
for all and
Proof edit
( )Take . It is easy to see that
( )Let . Then, there exist functions such that . Further, if and , then there exist such that if a partition satisfies then and then
Now let be a partition satisfying .
Now, we can easily see that . Hence, is a Cauchy sequence, with a limit , and as in the previous proof, we can show that


text:
Hold your breath, the race to the bottom is ready to escalate. The consequence of the corporate consumerism economy has reached the tipping point. The old rules that mainstream spending will dig the way back to prosperity are permanently dead. The one sure implication that is indisputable is that taxes are set to rise at unprecedented levels.
With Obamacare revenue obligations coming into effect, the latest phase of centralized medical socialism spreads like a virus. Under such circumstances, how can the patient regain their health?
The Rino Republicans have proven again their slimy deceit, as demonstrated in Highlights of Senate bill averting 'fiscal cliff'. The bipartisan house is poised to make another deal with the devil. Such legislation that refuses to enact meaningful and significant spending cuts exemplifies the depth of the efforts to dismantle the economic wellbeing of the average taxpayer.
The only beneficiary out of the tax bill from hell will be the corporate/state axis. By setting aside the automatic sequestration program reductions for a typical irresponsible useless promise the McConnell, Biden reach tentative deal on sequester, con insults the intelligence of any rational taxpayer.
"The negotiating parties reached an agreement to delay it by two months with some spending cuts to offset the delay."
Without a serious reduction in the rate of growth, much less a real shrinking in federal expenditures, deficit spending will shoot up higher than an addicted junkie. Examine the mess.
"According to the Congressional Budget Office, the last-minute fiscal cliff deal reached by congressional leaders and President Barack Obama cuts only $15 billion in spending while increasing tax revenues by $620 billion—a 41:1 ratio of tax increases to spending cuts."
This factor alone provides ample evidence that the economy will sustain another substantial hit. Treading water is no way to save yourself when you are swimming inside a whirlpool of spiraling intensity or diving into a pool drained of water.
2013 is likely to be another generous year for the financial vultures. Mergers and acquisitions may well come back 'with a vengeance', as international corporatists push hard for even greater consolidation. The suspect "Free Trade" cabal has enormous support and protection from the selected public officials that administer a plutocrat economy. Even under the distractions of higher taxes on the super affluent, their wealth will grow dramatically, as public subsistence becomes more dependent on government handouts.
Business is very good for the governing bureaucrat. This New Year provides immense promises for government expansion. The crowding out of the credit markets for private business will continue as an inevitable result of public sector borrowing hitting new highs.
Private firms will struggle as disposable funds become rarer. The consumer has shown remarkable restrains since the 2008 meltdown, but the internal built up demand for lifestyle replacement standards will not generate the economic activity that so many financial experts tout.
Prospects of an intensified reoccurrence of the persistent recession are far more likely. The sustainability of Federal Reserve monetization has limits. The crucial test of this desperate repurchase of debt created obligations will play out in the bond market.
Another down grade of the U.S. credit status over the next political battle of raising the borrowing limit is a major concern. The potential free fall of the Dollar and international abandonment of the reserve currency standing is probably the greatest risk to the economy.
Any credit-based economy is at the mercy of the central banksters. Disregarding the phony political rhetoric of the governance ideologues, the basic constructs of economic facts cannot be separated from the harsh reality of a credit crunch.
Inflation is embedded in the under reported consumer pricing statistics. Grocery prices will rise, while food stamps proliferate. This SNAP economy is a telltale gauge of the wellness of the basic consumer. How can anyone believe that the prospects for a healthy economy are in the cards for 2013?
The one unassailable conclusion that is born out with every turn of the financial page is that the rich become richer, while the middle class struggles even harder to make ends meet.
Many will fall into the trap that rich people are the cause of the problem. Such social envy misses a proper perspective on wealth creation. The real reason why the economy scrambles to democratize medium affluence is that the monopolists of politically protected conglomerates suppress initiative and originative employment entrepreneurial enterprises.
The entire political and tax system operates to diminish the chances of small business to compete against the virtual unrestricted capital access of major public companies. 2013 will be a watershed year that regretfully will see the systemic demise of privately held endeavors.
The replacement of free enterprise, with state/capitalism has produced a fascist economy.
When the establishment operates under the favoritism principle, the inevitable result is that crony capitalists dig the graves of independent business operators, with publicly funded shovels. How under this formula can the ordinary citizen expect to prosper when the supplanting of individual intuitive is intentionally marginalized?
The financial markets reflect uncertainty in the face of record corporate receipts. The balance sheets of companies have been rebuilt from the depth of the housing implosion, with much assistance from public indebtedness. The globalist banks practice distress acquisitions, deliberately designed to solidify interdependency at the price of personal autonomy.
With this acceleration of financial austerity for the average citizen, the gap between the corporate economy and the main street market grows exponentially. Whatever degree of cash flow that the country enjoys in this New Year, the price that will be paid to stretch out one last celebration of former fortune, will inescapably result in national poverty.
Just blaming the one percent ignores the institutional corruption that perpetrates the war against the middle class. Hoping for a thriving 2013 dismisses the abject State of the Nation. The only relevant question unanswered is whether the beleaguered taxpayer will revolt or just swallow another dose of Obama collectivism.
James Hall – January 2, 2013
Read the entire article on the Negotium archive page
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text:
Barred Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum mavortium)
- Other Names
- Tiger Salamander
- Description
- The tiger salamander is the largest land-dwelling salamander in the world. The barred tiger salamander typically grows from 6 - 8 1/2 inches. Overall, the body is dark brown to black with yellow bars and spots giving it the "tiger-stripe" look.
- Life History
These large salamanders make a nice meal for many animals such as snakes, turtles, herons and fish. They, in turn, may predate on insects, earthworms, small mice and even other amphibians. Barred tiger salamanders best avoid predators by a nocturnal and secretive lifestyle. They are active under the cover of darkness and spend most of their time in underground burrows or in thick vegetation near water. This salamander may take cover in mammal burrows or, if the soil is soft enough, they will dig out their own shelter.
Tiger salamanders have a fascinating and adaptable life process. Typically, tiger salamander larvae feed and grow during the spring and early summer and metamorphose two to five months after hatching. However, some populations never metamorphose. If the water system where they live is permanent and the environment surrounding the ponded area is dry and inhospitable, they may retain gills and a wide tail fin, crucial larval characteristics that allow them to live underwater. These salamanders mature in the water and even are able to mate and reproduce, although they maintain the body of an immature salamander. This process is called neoteny. Other tiger salamanders, in response to the seasonal drying out of their aquatic habitat, must be able to metamorphose on demand. They even may metamorphose if they are removed from water and handled temporarily.
Those barred tiger salamanders that are lucky enough to breed, either as terrestrial or aquatic salamanders, usually do so in late winter, but breeding may take place whenever there is enough moisture. Once the female has attached her egg masses to underwater debris in temporary pools, she has nothing more to do with them. They hatch three to five weeks later, depending on water temperature.
- Habitat
- They can be found near water in forested and prairie areas where there is adequate moisture.
- Distribution
- The barred tiger salamander ranges from central Nebraska to northeastern Mexico. They are distributed throughout Texas except for the eastern quarter.


text:
Northeast Regional Center
12901 Townsend Road, Philadelphia PA 19154
Administrative Hours of Operation, Summer 2023
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday: 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., NERC Suite 103
Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., NERC Suite 104
Located conveniently off of Route 1, the Northeast Regional Center (NERC) is the College's largest and most independently functional Regional Center. It has over 50 classrooms, a bookstore, a learning commons complete with a computer lab and several group study rooms, a biology lab, an art studio and a full service dining area.
The Regional Center's recent expansion has been built with sustainable practice in keeping with Community College of Philadelphia's vision of employing state-of-the-art technology to advance students' learning experience.
Programs Offered at the Northeast Regional Center
The following degree and certificate programs can be completed entirely at the Northeast Regional Center:
- Health Care Studies, designed for students interested in entering the health care profession.
Learn More About the Health Care Studies Program
- Liberal Arts, for those students looking to learn about and possibly transfer to four-year baccalaureate programs in the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, and/or mathematics.
Learn More About the Liberal Arts Program
- Liberal Arts – Social/Behavioral Science, for those students seeking exposure to areas such as social work, sociology, urban studies, political science, geography, anthropology, economics, history, or related fields.
Learn More About the Liberal Arts- Social/Behavioral Science Program
- Medical Assistant: Earn a Medical Assistant proficiency certificate in as little as two semesters and begin a career in a variety of medical settings. Upon successful completion, you will be eligible to take a national certification exam for a medical assistant and a phlebotomy certification exam.
Learn More About the Medical Assistant Proficiency Certificate
The following professional development noncredit career training can be completed entirely at the Northeast Regional Center:
- Massage Therapy: Meets the Commonwealth's requirements for massage therapy training and state licensure. Gain the required knowledge and competencies necessary for the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx), which is governed by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) and is designed to provide a standard examination for students of Massage for entry-level professional scope of practice in gaining licensure.
Learn More About Massage Therapy
The following degrees can be earned on-site at NERC combined with online classes:
The following certificates can be earned on-site at NERC combined with online classes:
- Accounting Paraprofessional Proficiency Certificate
- Clinical Assistant Proficiency Certificate
- Religious Studies
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Directions from I-95Exit onto Woodhaven Road. Turn right at the Thornton Road exit and make a right onto Thornton Road. Take the first left onto Townsend Road. The Center is on the right. Directions from the Pennsylvania TurnpikeTake Philadelphia Exit 351 and follow the signs to Route 1 South. Take Route 1 South towards Southampton Road. Turn left onto Southampton Road. Make a left onto Townsend Road and the Center will be on your right. Directions from the Roosevelt BoulevardTake Southampton Road east to Townsend Road. Turn left on Townsend Road and proceed to the Center, which will be on your right Directions from the Ben Franklin BridgeTake Ben Franklin Bridge to I-676 West/US-30 West/Central Philadelphia. Follow directions from I-95 beginning with, "Merge onto the Vine Street Expressway and continue on I-676 West." Directions from the Walt Whitman BridgeTake the Walt Whitman Bridge to I-95 North. Follow directions from I-95. |
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Smiley confirms that Luntz -- and only Luntz -- will provide analysis of PBS' Democratic presidential forum
Written by Rob Dietz
On the June 28 edition of New York Public Radio station WNYC's The Brian Lehrer Show, PBS host Tavis Smiley, who was scheduled to moderate a Democratic presidential forum later that day, confirmed that Republican pollster Frank Luntz will be PBS' and the Tavis Smiley program's sole provider of focus group analysis for the forum coverage. Asked by host Brian Lehrer, "Just Luntz or do you have a Democratic pollster there too?" Smiley responded: "[J]ust Luntz."
Media Matters has called on PBS and the Tavis Smiley program to reconsider their decision to use Luntz in their post-forum analysis. As Media Matters has noted, polling organizations have censured and reprimanded Luntz, a longtime Republican strategist who worked in several political campaigns for Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani. In September 2004, MSNBC dropped its plans to include Luntz in coverage of that year's presidential forum following a letter from Media Matters that outlined Luntz's GOP ties and criticism from his peers for misrepresenting and withholding results of his research.
Referring to Media Matters' description of the plan to use Luntz in post-forum coverage, Smiley said, "The facts are wrong, and I don't have any more time to waste responding to people who don't know what they're talking about." But in its original and subsequent items describing Luntz's announced role with respect to post-forum coverage, Media Matters quoted directly from the April 4 PBS press release and published nothing inaccurate.
Smiley also mistakenly asserted that Media Matters did not post to its website a June 27 statement issued by Neal Kendall, executive producer of Tavis Smiley, clarifying Luntz's role in post-forum coverage. In fact, Media Matters posted the full Kendall statement in a release at the top of its home page on June 27 at 3:56 p.m.
From the June 28 edition of WNYC's The Brian Lehrer Show:
LEHRER: You know, I've been getting emails from the liberal media watch group Media Matters, and they don't like some role that Republican pollster Frank Luntz has tonight. Is Luntz involved in some way?
SMILEY: Luntz is not involved tonight, and the person behind that Media Matters website, David Brock. I -- I always say where persons like him are concerned -- and I don't mean to cast aspersions on him, but his history is well documented of flipping back and forth between being a liberal and a conservative -- I always say, one, consider the source. That's true of anything. He's the guy behind Media Matters. So one, consider the source. Number two, his facts are wrong. Number three, PBS put out a statement two days ago, checking him on his facts, which to my knowledge, as yet he has not posted that response on his website. The bottom line is Frank Luntz, like any number of other pollsters, is people-metering 30 African-Americans who are all Democrats in a separate room adjacent to the main stage.
Tomorrow night, on my television show, I'll be joined by those 30 persons with the data that Mr. Luntz and company have collected about what they thought of the debate while it was going on. So how anyone, Republican, Democrat, black or white, could spin what 30 persons who are black and Democratic voters said, is nonsensical. So we will have, on our regular PBS program tomorrow night, a recap with the 30 persons who are, again, all African-American, all registered Democrats, and we'll do the same thing in the Republican conversation later in September. But that drama, that nonsense at Media Matters is just that. The facts are wrong, and I don't have any more time to waste responding to people who don't know what they're talking about.
LEHRER: Just Luntz or do you have a Democratic pollster there too?
SMILEY: We have a -- just -- just Luntz. We have one pollster for each process, and I might add right quick, that there are any number of media organizations, I believe, including The New York Times, who want to cover all aspects of the story, so there will be media people in the room where the people-metering is taking place so they can cover the story, and I'll be talking about it tomorrow morning on [ABC's] Good Morning America as their lead guest just after 7 o'clock, and again on Meet the Press with Tim Russert on NBC this Sunday.
LEHRER: All right.


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Targeting Innocents: State and human Rights of Minorities
In Kalyan a Muslim youth Bilal Shaikh was slaped with a non boilable cognizable offense (May 2012) under section 333, after he jumped the traffic signal. He was assaulted brutally by the police for having arguments with them, suffered a fracture in right arm and was in jail for eight days. The policemen who beat him up got released with the non cognizable warrant.
Another Muslim youth Mohammad Amir Khan, age 18, preparing for his school exam, was abducted by police, charged with being the mastermind of serial blasts in Delhi, was charged under all the possible sections, tortured in jail for 14 years and finally released in 2012 when no evidence was proved in the courts.
In the series of blasts, for which now Aseemanand-Pragyasingh Thakur and company is now cooling the heels in jails, many a Muslim youth were arrested after every blast in Malegaon, Mecca Masjid (Hyderabad), Ajmer and Samjhauta express. In all the cases the Muslim youth had to be released as police had no credible evidence of any sort. In the meanwhile many of them had to drop out from their studies and their careers were ruined.
In the recently released (June 2012) report by Tata Institute of social sciences, the observation is that 36% of the jail inmates in Maharashtra are Muslims while the population of Muslims in state is close to 10.6%. The report was sponsored by the Maharashtra States' Minorities Panel. The findings of the report are in conformity with the Sachar Committee report and general observation of Human rights activists.
Most of the arrests of Muslim youth are prompted by the prevalent stereotype of 'Muslims are criminals, terrorists'. These stereotypes are highly prevalent not only in society but also amongst the bureaucracy, particularly the police and amongst intelligence agencies. Many in the police force are totally in the grip of communal thinking and with their infinite power they unleash themselves against the Muslim youth at every conceivable opportunity. The rise of communalization of society and more particularly after the coming up of the terrorism of Al Qaeda variety, the stereotypes about Muslims have worsened. One recalls that this type of terrorism was subtly brought up by United States for pursuing its goal of controlling the oil wealth. The attitude of authorities has become more anti minority and this in turn has undermined their professionalism and they are guided more by their biases than by the rules of law.
There are multiple reasons for the Muslim youth being targeted by the state authorities. True, that some Muslim youth have fallen prey to the illegal activities due to the abject poverty which they have to suffer. Still the major reason for their being indiscriminately arrested by the police relates to the misconception regarding acts of terrorism and communal violence.
In communal violence, the major culprit instigating the violence is majoritiarian communal forces. The study of different inquiry committee reports by Teesta Setalvad (Communalism Combat, March 1998) shows that in most of the cases of violence it is the RSS related organization, already prevalent or floated specially for the occasion, which is in the lead. Even in Mumbai violence, Shrikrishna Commission held Shiv Sena as the major factor leading the violence. As such Muslims are 13.4% of the Indian population according to 2001 census, but amongst the violence victims 90% are Muslims. Police and many a times political leadership takes the attitude which increases the insecurity of the community.
The worst part of this phenomenon is that in popular perception it is alleged that it is Muslims, who start the riots. Dr. V.N. Rai, who has done a major study on the communal violence points out that generally a situation, is created where the minority community is forced to throw the first stone on many occasions. To worsen the matter, after the violence the majority of those who are arrested for communal violence are Muslims again.
The recent acts of terror and attitude of police are very reflective of the whole process. In most of these acts of terror, Malegaon, Ajmer, Jaipur and Samjhauta express blast, many a Muslim youth were arrested as the ones' who have done the act. Police machinery produced evidence of their involvement with some Pakistan based terror group; SIMI was always blamed for many of these acts. Even at that time there were enough pointers that police investigations and action defies common sense. Police had the standard formula for arresting Muslim youth after every blast. They made it a practice to implicate the Muslim youth and put on their head the charge of blast and their link with Lashkar-E-Tayyaba, Indian Mujahideen, SIMI or some such group. Social activists kept pointing to the authorities about the leads showing in another direction from where the acts of terror were emerging. Police totally biased with prejudiced mind set kept on repeating the same pattern over and over again.
Once Hemant Karkar's immaculate investigation showed the link of Malegaon blast to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's motor cycle and her links with many Hindutva groups the matters came to a halt. Sadhvi's links with Swami Dayanand Pandey, Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, retired Major Upadhaya, Swami Aseemanand and many others of Hindutva ideology revealed that police till then was totally acting in a wrong manner. In this light Human Rights organization ANHAD (Act Now for Harmony And Democracy), organized a tribunal in Hyderabad, 'Scapegoats and Holy Cows'. The report of this tribunal was very damning of the actions of the investigation authorities and the state. Logically with the arrest of Saffron terror gangs the acts of terror seem to have come to a halt.
Despite this, the attitude of police remains as biased as before and in the day to day life they display this partisan behavior. This biased attitude of state machinery, police and intelligence authorities in the main, has been ruining the life and careers of many a Muslim youth. The feeling of insecurity amongst the community as a whole is on the rise. This feeling of insecurity is crippling the possible growth of the community. Those implicated in such acts are also boycotted by the community and have faced immense personal, social and economic losses. It is time that the Human rights groups intensify their campaign to protect the innocent Muslim youth, the legal measures need to be strengthened whereby the police cannot exercise its biased attitude in arresting any Muslim youth. Measures are needed to ensure that police-intelligence agencies takes up more professional attitude overall and more particularly in the matters related to minority youth. The Government needs to wake up and apply the correcting measurs.
Apart from preventive legal steps we also need to work against the prevalent social biases against Muslims in particular. The myths against the community, which are historical and contemporary issues, which are related to the causes of acts of terrorism need to be countered by spread of truth about these myths. It is the duty of state and social organizations to undertake and promote such awareness programs through lectures, workshops, popular booklets and through mechanisms like T.V. and media in particular.


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N.J. to change handicapped parking program
BRIDGEWATER — New Jersey is seeking to curb fraud associated with the handicapped parking program.
Motor Vehicle Commission chief administrator Raymond Martinez will announce changes during an event in Bridgewater Wednesday.
People with a disability will be required to have their medical conditions recertified every three years.
The state also is changing the design of the handicapped placards.


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Nassir Ghaemi
A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness
New York: the Penguin Press, 2011
This has to be the silliest book I have ever read. But I read it cover-to-cover, because it is also highly informative and engaging. Nassir Ghaemi, MD, is an Iranian-born, US-educated professor of psychiatry at Tufts University and a widely published author. (more…)